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Unsung heroes of the Civil Rights Movement

History books don’t often value the stories of people of color, favoring a whitewashed version of the past over the harsh honesty of historical racism. This spin makes history more comfortable, especially for those who don’t want to confront their role in the oppression of people of color.

A direct challenge to this sanitized version of the past is Black History Month — a time to explicitly honor the struggles, triumphs and excellence of the black community.

But discussions around Black History Month are often dominated by a handful of names, such as Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks and Malcolm X. Though these activists deserve recognition and appreciation, they were not the only change-makers who inspired action around racial justice.

There are countless heroes of the racial justice movement who are often denied the platform to be celebrated. Though the impact of their work is still felt, their names and contributions aren’t widely known.

It’s time for that to change.

Join us in celebrating these unsung heroes of civil rights and racial justice, each of whom deserve a salute this Black History Month — and beyond.

"Education and justice are democracy's only life insurance."

Nannie Helen Burroughs

Nannie Helen Burroughs was born in Orange, Virginia, to John and Jennie Burroughs, both former slaves. Her father died when she was 5 years old, and her mother brought her and her sisters to Washington, D.C., for quality education. Not much else is known about Burroughs' early years, other than the fact that she was an "above average" student. Though Burroughs was not college-educated, she pursued work as a teacher, albeit without much luck — which she attributed to her dark skin.

She eventually found work as an editor for The Christian Banner in Pennsylvania, and later as a secretary to the Baptist Church in Louisville. In 1907, Burroughs, with support of the National Baptist Convention, began creating a trade school for black high school- and junior college-aged girls. The school was called the National Training School for Women and Girls, with the motto "We Specialize in the Wholly Impossible" — a testament to Burrough’s belief in educating those whom others thought were unworthy. The students were trained industrially, also learning about the liberal arts and Christianity.

Burroughs died in 1961, though the National Training School for Women and Girls continued her mission until its closure in 1971. Her desire to preach the value of hard work and the absolute necessity of education, however, inspired thousands who attended the school throughout its history.

"Strong people don't need strong leaders."

Ella Baker

Though Ella Baker wasn't as visible as others involved, many activists agree there would not have been a Civil Rights Movement without her. Born in Norfolk, Virginia, in 1903, she was inspired by her grandmother, a former slave who was ordered to be whipped for refusing to marry the man her slaveowner picked for her. Her grandmother’s legacy led Baker to develop an interest in social justice and equality early in life.

Baker graduated as valedictorian from Shaw University, quickly moving to New York City after graduation to join social activist groups. In 1930, she joined the Young Negroes Cooperative League, an organization dedicated to black economic growth and power. Her activism continued when she joined the NAACP in 1940, where she worked as a field secretary. She eventually served as director of branches from 1943 until 1946 — one of the highest-ranked women on staff. Even after stepping down as a leader in the organization, Baker still actively supported her local New York branch of the NAACP.

1941

Afro Newspaper/Gado/Getty Images

c. 1943-1946

Library of Congress

1968

Associated Press

After the bus boycotts in Montgomery, Baker cofounded the organization In Friendship to raise money to combat the anti-voting Jim Crow Laws in the Deep South. Later, in 1957, she moved to Atlanta to become the executive director of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference at the request of Martin Luther King Jr. Though Baker admired King, she had an extremely different approach to civil rights than the noted leader, causing tension in the movement. Baker didn't believe there should be a sole leader of civil rights. Instead, she believed in grassroots political action and collective activism. This pushed her to fringes of the movement, as activists were so eager to champion leaders like Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks and Malcolm X as representatives.

Seeing young people take up interest in racial justice throughout her time as an activist, Baker realized the new generation of young activists were going to be assets to the movement because of their new ideas and eagerness for change. This led her to focus her attention on students for the later part of her activist career, creating the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, which organized the Freedom Rides. Baker continued to be an activist and adviser to younger generations until she died in 1986.

"One person plus one typewriter constitutes a movement."

Pauli Murray

Pauli Murray, born Anna Pauline Murray, was a fierce leader of the Civil Rights Movement, but she's often overlooked. Born in Baltimore in 1910, Murray's early life was marked by tragedy, with both of her parents dying before her teen years. She spent her young life living with extended family, eventually moving to New York City to attend Hunter College.

Murray’s passion for civil rights blossomed in 1938, when she campaigned for entrance into UNC Chapel Hill, which was an all-white university at the time. She approached the NAACP for support, but the organization didn’t take up Murray’s case, citing her New York residence as the reason. However, many scholars believe the true reason was Murray's intimate relationships with women, and her tendency to dress in men’s clothing. In 1940, Murray desegregated a bus, which led to her arrest and imprisonment. Again, the NAACP didn't take up her case, though they would support a bus boycott with Rosa Parks 15 years later.

1946

Associated Press

1970

Associated Press

1977

Associated Press

Among her many acts of defiance, Murray wrote. A prolific poet and author, she penned influential works like Dark Testament and Negroes Are Fed Up. She went back to school in the 1940s to earn her law degree, when she cofounded the Congress of Racial Equality. After graduation, Murray wrote States’ Laws on Race and Color, a work Supreme Court justice Thurgood Marshall described as a bible for civil rights lawyers. Her dedication to racial justice law and activism was recognized in 1961 when President John F. Kennedy appointed her to the President's Commission on the Status of Women Committee on Civil and Political Rights. In 1977, she became the first black woman to be ordained as a priest within the Episcopal Church.

Though deeply passionate about racial justice, Murray was critical of the Civil Rights Movement. She often challenged dominant male leaders, coining the phrase "Jane Crow" to hint at the overlooked intersection of gender and race. Throughout her life, however, Murray struggled to find a label that honored her gender and sexuality. Her name switch — from Anna Pauline to Pauli — was a nod to this complexity. Many scholars argue Murray would have identified as a transman or genderqueer, if that terminology had existed. Involved in activism until her death, Murray died in 1985 at age 74.

"The proof that one truly believes is in action."

Bayard Rustin

If Martin Luther King Jr. was the star of the Civil Rights Movement, Bayard Rustin was the director. Born in West Chester, Pennsylvania, in 1912, Rustin was raised by his Quaker grandparents. Quaker beliefs state that all people are part of a single human family — a way of thinking that compelled Rustin to promote racial justice from an early age.

One of the early manifestations of Rustin’s activism was an impromptu sit-in when a restaurant wouldn’t serve him along with the white members of his high school football team. In 1937, Rustin moved to New York City, where his affiliation with the Communist Party and civil rights activism placed him on the radar of the FBI. Involved in several racial justice organizations, Rustin organized the first Freedom Ride.

1963

Orlando Fernandez/New York World Telegram and Sun Newspapers/Corbis

1963

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1982

Robert Maass/Corbis

Most notable of his activist work was the organization of the March on Washington, where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his iconic "I Have a Dream" speech. Organizing the march was an uphill battle for Rustin, though, as many objected his leadership because Rustin was a gay man. King, however, stood firm in his belief that Rustin was the right man for the job. Rustin had been one of his early mentors and continued to work with him as a "proofreader, ghostwriter, philosophy teacher and non-violence strategist." His role in the March on Washington was immortalized in a LIFE magazine cover alongside his own mentor in socialism, the activist A. Philip Randolph.

After the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965 were passed, Rustin continued to work in activism. He was involved in human rights locally and internationally, including advocacy for black labor unions, economic justice and the protest of the Vietnam War. He also became more outspoken on the rights of gay and lesbian individuals starting in the early 1980s. Rustin died in 1987, and was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in 2013.

"Nobody's free until everybody's free."

Fannie Lou Hamer

Fannie Lou Hamer spent her early life working with her family, who were sharecroppers in Montgomery County, Mississippi. Before becoming an activist, Hamer worked on a plantation picking cotton, and later became the plantation's bookkeeper when the owner discovered she could read and write. In 1962, she started attending protest meetings, where she met many civil rights activists who were helping black people register to vote.

Hamer began to work tirelessly for the Civil Rights Movement, not only helping other black individuals vote in elections, but also working for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, which participated in acts of civil disobedience in protest of segregation and racial injustice.

1965

Afro Newspaper/Gado/Getty Images

1965

Afro Newspaper/Gado/Getty Images

1965

William J. Smith/Associated Press

In 1964, Hamer helped found the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, which was the only opposition to her state's all-white Democratic delegates at the time. She also ran for Congress the next year, but was unsuccessful. Along with her own career, Hamer was an associate to Martin Luther King Jr., and had a signature trait of singing to protest groups to help bolster their morale. She often chose Christian hymns, like "Go Tell It On The Mountain" and "This Little Light O' Mine," which would become historically tied to the Civil Rights Movement.

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Hamer remained dedicated to her activism by helping set up organizations for black people to find more business opportunities, quality health care and family services. She also helped set up the National Women's Political Caucus in 1971. She died of cancer in 1977.

"I just couldn’t move. History had me glued to the seat."

Claudette Colvin

Before Rosa Parks, there was Claudette Colvin. Born Sept. 5, 1939, Colvin made a name for herself at just 15 years old when she took a stand against bus segregation in her hometown of Montgomery, Alabama. In 1955, she boarded a crowded bus with her school friends in Montgomery, and when she refused to give up her seat to a white woman who boarded after her, Colvin was removed from the bus and arrested.

Despite being a pioneer for bus protests, the NAACP didn't publicize Colvin's resistance because she was dark-skinned and became pregnant by a married man soon after. Many people called her "feisty" and "emotional," which gave leaders the impression that she wouldn't be a good spokesperson for the movement. Instead, the NAACP chose Rosa Parks to take a bus ride in protest of segregation, which sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955.

Photo taken c. 1953

Portland Press Herald/Contributor/Getty Images

1998

The Washington Post/Contributor/Getty Images

2009

Julie Jacobson/Associated Press

But Colvin continued to be an activist, and testified in the federal court case Browder v. Gayle in 1956, which determined bus segregation laws to be unconstitutional. In 2005, she told the Montgomery Advertiser, "I feel very, very proud of what I did. I do feel like what I did was a spark and it caught on ... Let the people know Rosa Parks was the right person for the boycott. But also let them know that the attorneys took four other women to the Supreme Court to challenge the law that led to the end of segregation."

Colvin, who later worked as a nurse's aide, is now retired and living in New York City.

"You can kill a revolutionary, but you can't kill the revolution."

Fred Hampton

Fred Hampton, born in 1948 in Illinois, had a modest upbringing. After graduating from high school with honors, Hampton began studying pre-law. His involvement in activism began around the same time, when he started serving as a youth leader in his local branch of the NAACP. In 1968, when he was just 19 years old, he was recruited by racial justice activist Bobby Rush to join the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party, a radical black political group.

Hampton’s extensive knowledge, leadership and oratory skills accelerated his rise within the BPP — he was chairman of the Illinois chapter and deputy chairman of the national chapter by 1969. In his time with the BPP, he helped facilitate creation of a number of free initiatives, including a children's breakfast program, health clinics, political education classes, transportation to jails and day care centers. He encouraged the pursuit of education for all black people, especially Black Panthers. To become a member of his chapter, prospects had to go through six weeks of education so they knew what they were fighting for. While leading the Chicago chapter of the BPP, Hampton created the Rainbow Coalition, a multi-ethnic revolutionary group composed of organizations and street gangs.

1968

Bettmann/Corbis

1969

Chicago Tribune/Contributor/Getty Images

1969

Associated Press

In June 1969, FBI director J. Edgar Hoover described the Black Panther Party as "the greatest threat to the internal security of the country." As the deputy chairman of the national chapter, Hampton was one of the FBI’s major targets in efforts to "neutralize" the BPP, and he was put under high surveillance. On Dec. 4, 1969, the FBI conducted a raid in the home where Hampton, his pregnant girlfriend, and other members were sleeping. Hampton along with fellow Panther, Mark Clark, were killed in the raid. Hampton was only 21 years old.

Although the FBI, Cook County and Chicago attempted to cover up the murder, evidence pointed at the raid being a targeted assassination. In 1971, an activist group released documents detailing aims to "expose, disrupt, misdirect, discredit or otherwise neutralize the activities of the Black nationalists." The documents also outlined FBI plans to assassinate Fred Hampton. The government settled out of court in 1983 for $1.8 million.

Despite his early death, Hampton's legacy of service, black power and revolution remains.

"We have to talk about liberating minds as well as liberating society."

Angela Davis

Angela Davis is a major force in the fight for racial justice, using her radical — and sometimes controversial — activism to build upon the solid framework of the Civil Rights Movement. Born in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1944, Davis grew up in the middle of the movement, which led to Davis’ own activism in her youth. When she was in high school, in New York, she organized an interracial study group that was deemed so threatening, the police broke it up.

Her activist work first caught mass attention in 1969 when she was removed from a philosophy teaching position at UCLA for her affiliation with the Communist Party and the Black Panther Party. A year later, she was placed on the FBI's 10 Most Wanted List after being accused of aiding in a deadly prison escape attempt. The manhunt forced her underground, where she was eventually caught by officials, tried and found guilty. She served 16 months in prison, until an activist fought back with the Free Angela Davis campaign, which successfully led to her acquittal in 1972.

1969

Hulton Archive/Getty Images

1972

Miroslav Zajic/Corbis

2011

Florian Schuh/dpa/Corbis

Though passionate about prison reform before her own incarceration, Davis’ experience with law enforcement propelled her to become a central, critical voice toward police, prisons and law. She became a founding member of Critical Resistance, a national organization dedicated to radical prison reform. She is also notable for popularizing the idea of the prison industrial complex, coining the phrase to critique prisons as inherently corrupt, advocating for their abolition.

Davis brought her activism to paper, authoring nine books, including Women, Race and Class, Are Prisons Obsolete? and several works on historical black leaders. She was a professor of feminism and the history of consciousness at the University of California, Santa Cruz, until her retirement in 2008. Her current work and advocacy focus on gender equality, prison reform and the realities of systemic racism.